McLaren’s rich history at Monaco may not be extended this weekend, but both Jenson Button and Sergio Perez are pleased to have made it through to Q3 for Formula One’s star event.

Perez led the team’s charge by qualifying 7th, and although he is disappointed to have not finished any higher, the young Mexican is pleased to have maximized the potential of the car.

“It’s not great to cross the finish line, feel like you’ve just done a mega lap, and find that you’re only 7th,” Perez explained in a team statement. “Still, I put in a really strong performance here today, and I felt like I’d really maximized the full potential of the car. We know we’re not quite there yet performance-wise, so we need to keep pushing.

“But the team has done a fantastic job so far this weekend, and I hope we can keep the momentum going tomorrow and score some good points. Anything can happen at Monaco on Sunday.”

For Button, a problem with the car cost him dearly in the final session, and he could only finish P9.

“I’m not sure what happened on my final lap in Q3. We had an issue with the car right at the end – I didn’t have any power, so I couldn’t post a quick lap. It’s a pity because, apart from that problem, which we also saw a sign of at the end of Q2, it had been a great qualifying session for me.

“The team did a great job in terms of putting me out on the right tires at the right time, while I felt I was driving well, making the most of the conditions. Tomorrow’s race will be difficult, starting from P9, but on this occasion there’s absolutely nothing I could have done about it.”

The team will be hoping to record another double-points score in Monaco in order to move ahead of Force India in the constructors’ championship.